Easy Homemade Refried Beans
These Easy Homemade Refried Beans are quick to make thanks to canned pinto beans. They're creamy, full of flavor and perfect for any Mexican or Tex-Mex meal!
Servings: 6 (about ½ cup each; recipe makes about 3 to 3½ cups total)
Estimated Calories: 326
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or light-tasting olive oil suitable for frying
- 1 cup finely diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup vegetable broth or stock, plus extra, if needed, to thin out the beans
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet (I use an 11-inch skillet), sauté the onions in the avocado oil over medium heat until softened and just starting to turn golden brown in spots, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic; cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the beans, vegetable broth or stock, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and some salt (I use about ½ teaspoon here and then add more later if needed); stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.Reduce the heat, if needed. If the skillet seems too hot, I turn down the heat to medium-low.
- Using a handheld potato masher, mash the beans to your desired texture (smooth, semi-chunky or chunky; I leave it semi-chunky).
- Stir in additional broth (or water), as needed, to reach the desired consistency (loose, semi-loose or firm; I do somewhere between semi-loose and firm).Keep in mind that the beans will firm up some once they are removed from the heat and start to cool down.
- Taste and add more salt, if needed.Correctly seasoning the refried beans with salt is important and will make the difference between just-okay beans and really delicious beans.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If serving as a side dish, these refried beans are excellent topped with crumbled queso fresco and chopped fresh cilantro.
- A handheld potato masher is really all you need to mash up the beans, but if you want them super smooth, you can use an immersion blender or a food processor.
- Store leftover cooled refried beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
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